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showers pass cross country shorts and ultralight windjacket
those of you who may have watched bbc's winterwatch recently, you will by now be aware of at least some of the wildlife for which islay is reputed. embarrassingly, i saw none of this programming, principally on the basis that i am somewhat agnostic with regard to the natural history of the island. while many experience a sharp intake of breath on viewing their very first golden eagle, despite the best efforts of those around me, i seriously doubt i'd recognise one if it offered to buy me a double-espresso on a sunday morning.
similarly, the prospect of each year's autumnal arrival of overwintering geese from greenland offers me no great cause for rejoicing, though like many an islander, i'm not sorry to see them go, come may of the following year. to be perfectly blunt, when it comes to identifying islay's luxuriant birdlife, i can but classify them as geese and not geese. call me a philistine if you like; i well know that to be true and such an apellation is but water off a duck's back.
however, my professed ignorance has no bearing on the apparently increasing number of twitchers, who arrive each year in their blandly liveried minibuses, wearing almost identical barbour waxed-jackets and either flat caps or woolly hats. these vehicles are easy to spot as they're generally surrounded by a number of birdwatchers staring at something in the distance through telescopes and binoculars mounted on tripods. as we wend our merry way around the loch of a sunday morning in weather that would encourage even the most foolhardy to remain indoors, the coastline of loch indaal is often peppered with such individuals.
insouciant in our arrogance, we have often been brought to comment on the apparent insolence of staring at a small brown bird wandering purposefully in the wetland, rather than enjoying a hearty breakfast in the comfort of their overnight hostelry. but then again, there's every likelihood that they too are observing us in our sportwool and lycra finery, scarcely concealing their mirth at seeing such eccentricity extant in the hebrides. it's quite likely that we're both right/wrong.
though in support of wearing full pelotonic garb, i have long contended that only the foolish would go swimming in a pair of levis 501s, extrapolation of that statement in relation to the cycling milieu perfectly justifies (in my opinion) the wearing of the aforementioned sportwool and lycra. however, there are times when the latter could be considered less than appropriate, either by our goodselves, or by those who are forced to put up with shaved legs and shiny shorts.
though not specifically designed to protect the modesty of perpetrator or innocent bystander, the showers pass, cross country short has already proved an invaluable asset to yours truly, with nary even a hint at their offroad heritage. with an adjustable waist, three point fastening augmented with the expected front zip, these shorts fit easily over either bibshorts (a bit chilly for this time of year) or, as worn by me, over a pair of bibtights. they feature no internal padding, so come warmer weather you might be well advised to wear padded boxers or the bibshorts to which i have just referred.
there are two open front pockets below the waist and two angled, zipped pockets on each leg. the latter proved capacious enough to swallow a not altogether tiny, compact digital camera without restricting pedal movement and there's a single, zipped rear pocket too. they will cover your modesty with ease and though hardly the sort of garb one expects to see in a speeding peloton, they not only live up to their cross country definition, should off-road be your jam, but make for a perfectly respectable and practical commuting option into the bargain.
if we might briefly return to meteorological matters for a moment or two, while out and about, surveying the estates on my brightly coloured 'cross bike, despite skies of blue, you will understand that a cutting february wind is more than equal to giving my showerspass merino/bamboo hoodie cause for concern. however, in dry weather accompanied by the occasional bout of frantic pedalling, protection from the elements demanded little in the way of thermal outerwear, but confined itself more readily to windproofing. and if we take into account the varying nature of this perceived necessity, it helps the situation greatly if said windproofing can be scrunched up and stuffed into the front pocket of said hoodie.
the problem with many garments that would seem to fit the bill is their incredibly compact and bijou nature, more readily designed to keep the wind from interfering with the progress of the archetypal honed-athlete than the meandering cyclist. thankfully, the showerspass ultralight wind jacket, not only offers a devil-may-care look when paired with the cross country shorts, but ticks the other two boxes as well. weighing marginally more than 160 grams, even those with the limited folding abilities displayed by yours truly, would have no problem cramming this jacket into the full-width front pocket of the recently reviewed hoodie.
yet, when worn over the top of that very merino and bamboo sweatshirt, there is plenty of room within which to manoeuvre, should your exertions lead to more than turning left at a road junction. available in light blue or red, the front fabric not only fends off a cold hebridean wind, but has sufficient chutzpah to simultaneously keep light drizzle at bay. the stretchy, underarm side-panels retain both a polite sense of sartorial elegance, while maintaining a comfortable degree of internal heat without overcooking. gloopy stuff on the dropped tail prevents it riding upwards when in the face of adversity and the jacket arrives with a tiny little stuff sack that really has you wondering how the jacket will ever fit within its bounds (but it does).
showers pass, as their name suggests, have built their reputation on adept rain protection; their home in portland, oregon is, like seattle to the north, well-known for suffering almost as many inches of precipitation as is the west coast of scotland. by way of the cross country shorts and the ultralight windjacket, they are spreading their wings just a bit to embrace the few times of the year when rain isn't the primary consideration. and on the evidence presented, they're making a darned fine job of doing so.
the showers pass ultralight wind jacket is available in either red orange or sky blue in sizes ranging from small to xl and at a retail price of £65. currently, they offer free shipping on all uk orders. the cross country shorts are available in dark shadow or alpine blue in waist sizes from 30 (as reviewed) to 40. a ladies version is also available in dark shadow or smoke blue. retail cost (with free uk shipping) is a very commendable and affordable £68.
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